Technically yes I would agree and most people should stick to that. That said, I'm careful to not push the limits and switch to 4x4 as soon as I start to spin, before I bury it.
I don’t know about your setup, but if you are spinning, it will not go into 4 wd
I have auto 4wd, and leave it in that a lot in winter with ice on the roads and streets
I have never used it in rain
I hardly ever have used 4 wheel lock
Years ago lots of time that would have been nice, but 4 wd was very uncommon, unless you had a jeep
Btw AWD is different then 4x4
The Honda CR-V is awd, it runs as a front wd until the computer see wheel slipping and then it locks in rear wheels as well
I can’t tell when that happens on the car, but on the truck, I can feel a little delay when the auto 4wd kicks in
In this country every newer car and SUV on the road seems to be AWD